The present invention is directed to devices for fixing a flexible plate on a cylinder of a rotary printing press. The flexible plate has suspension legs which fit into a cylinder groove. Several fastening elements for the suspension legs are positioned in the cylinder groove. One of the suspension leg fastening elements may include a jamming roller.
A device for fixing a flexible printing plate on the forme cylinder of a rotary printing press having at least one cylinder groove extending in the axial direction is known from DE 43 35 140 C1.
A first, or leading suspension leg, which is beveled at an acute angle, is suspended at an edge of the first groove wall of the cylinder groove of the forme cylinder. A second, or trailing, suspension leg can be placed against the second groove wall, which second groove wall is extending approximately in the radial direction of the. forme cylinder, of the cylinder groove. The cylinder groove contains a spindle which is pivotable around its axis. Two leaf springs, each of which is distributed over the width of the printing plate, are fastened on the spindle and can be brought into, or out of contact with the suspension legs in the course of pivoting the spindle.
DE 196 36 412 C1 discloses a cylinder on which pressure cams for clamping both suspension legs of a printing plate are arranged on a pivotable shaft.
The object of the present invention is directed to providing a device for fixing a flexible plate on a cylinder of a rotary printing press.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is attained by providing the plate receiving cylinder with a cylinder groove which is accessed through a fastening slit. Suspension legs of the flexible plate are received in the fastening slit where they are engaged by fastening elements. One of the suspension legs can be fastened against an abutment in the cylinder groove wall by one of the fastening elements. Another of the fastening elements is a pivotable flap with a jamming roller arranged between the flap and one of the plate suspension legs.
The advantages to be obtained by the present invention consist, in particular, in that a rugged, simply constructed device is created, which can be produced cost-effectively. The device in accordance with the present invention can be displaced without the turning of a spindle in only two positions. A further advantage of the present invention lies in that in its axial extension it can consist of several short base bodies. It is possible because of this to remove the device laterally piece by piece from the cylinder groove, for example for maintenance purposes, without having to dismount the cylinder from the lateral frame. It is of particular advantage that the device can also be employed in case of a reversal of the direction of rotation of the cylinder supporting the plates, for example in connection with satellite printing units. An automatic plate feeding and removal by the use of known devices is possible.